Down The Highway

Chapter Thirty-Two

We all followed the professor. Shawn's cold and sweaty hands were wrapped around mine as we walked through the hallway. I didn't find his hands being weird since all the other group members were holding each other's hands too. We would be a little odd if we don't do the same thing. The professor didn't stop walking even if we have reached the garden area already where the soccer team players were practicing for the upcoming sports fest this year. "Everybody, just keep your groupmates' hands and sit with them on the grass. I let go of his hands to wipe mine.

He slowly sat down as if he was a grandfather who had a hard time sitting down. I sat in front of him. My eyes and his eyes met. I took a deep breath as I continued to think about why we were there in the garden. "The thing that we would do right now is very related to our topic earlier," the professor said as he grabbed a few papers out of his bag. "Here are several questions you should ask your group mates. And in your case Jade and Shawn, you would take turns to ask each other the same question"

I nodded as I glanced a bit at Shawn who was carefully listening to him. Maureen grabbed the papers and she gave everyone copies of them including me and Shawn. Even if I couldn't think right, I faced my paper and tried to concentrate. He wasn't trying to and it was obvious that he didn't mean it but he was distracting me. I couldn't blame him for that. "Listen up guys!" He clapped his hands again. Is that a mannerism or something? He just keeps on doing it over and over again. To catch our attention somehow.

All of us faced him and waited for his next words. There was this side of me that acted cool for Shawn, deep inside me, had the name of Travis since he just reminded me of him. Again. "Ask the same question to each other. Take turns. And for Jade and Shawn, ask each other alternately starting with the first question. To the others, it's up to you who would go first. Take note of the answers of your classmates" we all nodded as the slight strong wind blew my hair. I faced Shawn as he faced me. He and I faced each other.

It took us a minute before the conversation in between us started. At first, we got ourselves feeling awkward and speechless. "So, umm... should we start now?" He asked and I nodded, time was running away from us like how it did before. I didn't want to waste any more time anymore. "Yeah, I guess?" He nodded in return then faced his paper. "When was the last time you cry and what was the reason for it?" I read the statement on the paper and faced him. Maybe his answer was on the papers.

Because he looked at the papers first before answering me. "A year ago today. When I let somebody in my life go. It's my fault though" I froze for a while and thought. I just realized that today is August 14, the same date I figured out everything about Xanny. That Travis was the one behind her. I looked at his promising eyes as I stated, "at least you know it," testing if he could still hide his real identity to me even if I was showing him that I knew him already. Who he was.

"Now, your turn. When was the last time you cried and what was the reason for it?" He repeated my question to him earlier. I took a deep breath. First things first. I blew my hair off to get it out of my face. "Yesterday, because I realized how stupid I am for missing someone that I should not." He smiled at me teasingly as he kept his head held down and faced the paper. "Why do you miss him?" When he used the pronounce him, I wondered how he knew I was pointing to a guy.

I didn't mind the time which was passing us by and just let the wind blow us away. I didn't even take notes for his answer. Because every single word he stated easily and immediately climbed up to my mind. "I let him go 3 years ago today" I looked at his eyes even if he was trying to keep his head held down. But then, he changed the topic in just a snap. "What do you think is the biggest mistake you did in your life" I should have been the one to ask him that question first.

He already went on before me so I just tried to keep up with it. "I believed in lies. Even if I already have seen the warning signs" he bit the lower part of his lips as his ocean eyes took over mine. If he wasn't Travis, he wouldn't look away and think of it. I sensed the tears planning to pour down from his eyes. I also noticed how he tried to stop them. That's how I knew he was who I was thinking.

"Do you think the lies were intentionally given down to you?" Asked Shawn.

"Yeah. Obviously"

He smiled, to hide the pain he was feeling. He wouldn't do any of those things if he wasn't Travis. It was just another proof to me. "You?" I asked, to put the hot seat on him and know what is his answer on the topic. "The biggest mistake I did in my life? I chose to be weak rather than to be strong" after I heard him saying those words, I remembered the night that I stated those. When we were under the rain, and crying after the truth was out.

"And I let a girl make me realize that." He added. His words were what confirmed it all. "Let's just end this crap, Travis! It doesn't make sense!" I mentioned his name, to slap him in the reality and tell him I knew it was him. The guy who broke my heart before and never came back to mend it. I stood up and started to walk away from him.

"Where are you going, Jade?" Our professor asked once he noticed I was walking away. Tears were pouring down on my face but luckily, I was still able to say some words. "To the restroom sir," I saw Maureen, Jannet, and Myrna looking at Shawn, who was watching me too. I had no idea where to go, I just wanted to walk away from Shawn. But I wasn't lying though. I was going to the restroom. To cry, to ease the pain by myself again, and to calm me down.

Even if I knew that it wouldn't be possible for me to calm down when Shawn is around.